Cautionary testing of ethylene oxide produced by Cobb County-based Sterigenics

ATLANTA — Legislation will be introduced to enter into an intergovernmental (IGA) agreement with the City of Smyrna and Cobb County to conduct air testing. The legislation is in response to reported elevated emissions of ethylene oxide being produced by Smyrna-based Sterigenics—a global producer of comprehensive sterilization solutions for a variety of industries. The IGA will allow the City to proceed with conducting and monitoring air testing for ethylene oxide levels, which the City is directing out of an abundance of caution given the adjacency of the facility.

“The City wants to ensure that our communities have clean air,” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “While there is no evidence our residents have been impacted, we must do our due diligence to ensure the well-being of our families.”

“As a health professional, resident, and representative of the area, it is very important to me that we partner with our neighbors in Cobb County and Smyrna to commission this air testing and monitoring,” Council member Dustin Hillis, who introduced the legislation. “I have been working closely with Mayor Bottoms’ executive leadership team, along with officials from our neighboring governments, to ensure that the city of Atlanta is included in the testing that will be conducted by GHD.”

While in a separate jurisdiction, the facility is located less than a mile from the city of Atlanta and borders the districts of Council member Hillis and Council member J.P Matzigkeit, a co-sponsor of the legislation. Council member Andre Dickens is also a co-sponsor of the legislation.

The Atlanta City Council will convene Monday, Aug. 19 at 1 p.m. in the Council Chamber at Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave. SW.

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